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Monday, 22 July 2013

Laying ceramic tiles over vinyl flooring in bathroom

An old vinyl floor can be a good base for ceramic tile if the floor is stiff
enough and the vinyl is properly prepared — eliminating the problem of tearing
it up. This article explains what to look for and how to do it.

Old vinyl floors in bathrooms are a pain to tear up, and if the vinyl was
installed before 1980 it may even contain asbestos. However, if you don't mind
raising the height of the floor a little, you can usually tile right over it,
even directly on the vinyl, and thus not have to deal with the asbestos issue
at all.

Ceramic tile requires a stiff base to keep it and the grout from cracking.
So the first thing you have to do is check the thickness of your floor. You can
usually figure the thickness by pulling up a floor register or removing the
door threshold. If the ceiling is open below the floor, you can often tell from
where plumbing penetrates the floor. As a last resort, remove the toilet and
examine the area around the ring; you'll have to pull the toilet anyway at some
point.

If your floor framing is spaced 16 in. apart, the combination of subfloor
plus underlayment (a second layer of plywood directly under the vinyl) should
add up to at least 1-1/8 in. If it's 24 in. apart, it should add up to 1-1/2
in. If the floor is less than this, it probably isn't stiff enough to lay tile
directly on vinyl. In that case use tiling Method 1, and add either 1/4- or
1/2-in. cement board to build it up. Keep in mind that in doing so, you'll be
raising the floor level 1/2 to 3/4 in. (cement board plus 1/4-in. tile), which
means that you'll have to trim the door, raise the vanity, extend the toilet
ring, and make a new transition to the hallway.

If your floor is already stiff enough, you can lay the tile directly over
the vinyl using Method 2. With this method you only build your floor up 1/4 in.
However, if you choose this method, you should be aware of the asbestos issue.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen that was used in many products including vinyl
tile, asphalt tile, sheet flooring and adhesives made until 1980. So if your
floor was laid after 1980, it won't contain asbestos unless the installer used
older materials. You can clean and sand it to improve tile adhesion, or even
tear it out.

However, if you have an older home, and don't know when the floor was laid,
do not sand it or disturb it. Simply strip off the old grime and wax with an
ammonia-based cleaner. When it's dry, apply a little tile adhesive and let it
dry to test for good adhesion. If thin-set mortar with an acrylic additive
doesn't stick well, try a mastic-type adhesive. Both are available at home centres
and tile stores.

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